“Encouraging new research suggests walking could help prevent new bouts of knee pain in people with osteoarthritis. 

A promising new study suggests that walking could ward off knee pain for people with osteoarthritis.

Researchers surveyed over 1,000 people ages 50 or older with knee osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis in the United States. Some had persistent pain at the outset, while others did not. After four years, those who started off without frequent knee pain and walked for exercise at least 10 times were less likely to experience new, regular bouts of stiffness or aches around their knees and had less structural damage in their knees. The study suggested that people with knee osteoarthritis who are bowlegged might particularly benefit from walking.

The research offers the potential of an easy — and free — way to combat one of the most common culprits of knee pain among older adults.

The findings represent “a paradigm shift,” said Dr. Grace Hsiao-Wei Lo, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the lead author on the study. “Everyone’s always looking for some kind of drug. This highlights the importance and likelihood that interventions for osteoarthritis might be something different, including good old exercise.” The research suggests that exercise could help manage osteoarthritis in other joints, she added, like those in the hips, hands and feet.”

Moderate exercise seems to have many benefits!!  From heart disease to mood and now for osteoarthritis too.  I was amazed to read that patients with bowing of the knees might particularly benefit from walking.  So counterintuitive!  But as my orthopedic colleagues say, “motion is lotion”!